The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Low PE Investor model based on the published strategy of John Neff. This strategy looks for firms with persistent earnings growth that trade at a discount relative to their earnings growth and dividend yield.
WESTERN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS LP (WES) is a large-cap value stock in the Oil & Gas Operations industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Western Midstream Partners LP owns, develops, and operates midstream assets. The Company is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water. The Company's midstream assets are located in the Rocky Mountains, North-central Pennsylvania, Texas, and New Mexico. In addition, in its capacity as a processor of natural gas, the Company also buys and sells natural gas, NGLs, and condensate on behalf of itself and as an agent for its customers under certain of its contracts. Its DBM oil system features three central production facilities and two Regional Oil Treating Facilities (ROTFs). The Company operates approximately two gas processing plant and has over 1.3 billion cubic feet (BCF). It also operates more than 35 water disposal wells and approximately 1.2 million barrels of water capacity.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of WESTERN MIDSTREAM PARTNERS LP
PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO) (PFC) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Premier Financial Corp. is a financial holding company that conducts business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Premier Bank (the Bank). The Bank is primarily engaged in community banking. The Bank attracts deposits from the general public through its offices and Website and uses those and other available sources of funds to originate residential real estate loans, commercial real estate loans, commercial loans, home improvement and home equity loans and consumer loans. In addition, the Bank invests in the United States Treasury and federal government agency obligations, obligations of the State of Ohio and its political subdivisions, mortgage-backed securities that are issued by federal agencies, including real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) and residential collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and corporate bonds. The Bank conducts its operations through over 75 full-service banking center offices, approximately 12 loan offices and over two wealth offices.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of PREMIER FINANCIAL CORP (OHIO)
WSFS FINANCIAL CORPORATION (WSFS) is a mid-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: WSFS Financial Corporation is a savings and loan holding company. The Company operates through its subsidiary, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB (the Bank). The Company operates through three segments: WSFS Bank, Cash Connect and Wealth Management. The WSFS Bank segment provides loans and leases and other financial products to commercial and retail customers. Cash Connect provides automated teller machine (ATM) vault cash, smart safe and other cash logistics services in the United States through strategic partnerships with several of the largest networks, manufacturers and service providers in the cash logistics industry. The Wealth Management segment provides an array of planning and advisor services, investment management, personal and institutional trust services, and credit and deposit products to individuals, corporate, and institutional clients.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of WSFS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
TIMBERLAND BANCORP, INC. (TSBK) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 60% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Timberland Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Timberland Savings Bank, SSB (the Bank). The Bank is a community-oriented bank, which offers a range of savings products to its retail customers while concentrating its lending activities on real estate mortgage loans and commercial business loans. The Bank's principal lending activity consists of the origination of loans secured by real estate, including residential construction loans, one- to four-family residential loans, multi-family loans and commercial real estate loans. The Bank also originates commercial business loans and other consumer loans. It originates two types of residential construction loans: custom construction and owner/builder construction loans, and speculative construction loans. It serves consumers and businesses across Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap and Lewis counties, Washington.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | FAIL |
Detailed Analysis of TIMBERLAND BANCORP, INC.
TECK RESOURCES LTD (USA) (TECK) is a large-cap value stock in the Coal industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 62% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Teck Resources Limited is a Canada-based mining company. The Company's segments include steelmaking coal, copper, zinc and energy. The Company owns or has interests in approximately 10 operating mines, a metallurgical complex, and several major development projects in the Americas. Its projects include Fording River Extension Project, HVC 2040 Project, Galore Creek Project, Quintette Project, Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 Project, Relincho and El Morro Projects and others. Its Fording River Extension Project is a proposed extension of its existing Fording River steelmaking coal mine located in the East Kootenay region in southeastern British Columbia. Its Galore Creek Project is located within the territory of the Tahltan Nation in northwestern British Columbia, approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Stewart. Its Quintette Project is located in northeast British Columbia, approximately 20 kilometers south of the town of Tumbler Ridge.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| SALES GROWTH: | FAIL |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of TECK RESOURCES LTD (USA)
CHOICEONE FINANCIAL SERVICES INC (COFS) is a small-cap value stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on John Neff changed from 62% to 81% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. is a financial holding company that operates through the banking segment. The Company's subsidiary, ChoiceOne Bank (the Bank), is a full-service banking institution that offers a range of deposit, payment, credit and other financial services to all types of customers. Its services include time, savings, demand deposits, safe deposit services and automated transaction machine services. It offers both commercial and consumer loans to corporations, partnerships and individuals. Commercial lending covers categories, such as business, industry, agricultural, construction, inventory and real estate. The Bank's consumer loan department makes direct and indirect loans to consumers and purchasers of residential and real property. The Bank's primary market area lies within Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo and Ottawa counties in Michigan. The Bank's subsidiary, Insurance Agency sells insurance policies, such as life and health for both commercial and consumer clients.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| P/E RATIO: | PASS |
| EPS GROWTH: | PASS |
| FUTURE EPS GROWTH: | FAIL |
| SALES GROWTH: | PASS |
| TOTAL RETURN/PE: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| EPS PERSISTENCE: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of CHOICEONE FINANCIAL SERVICES INC
More details on Validea's John Neff strategy
About John Neff: While known as the manager with whom many top managers entrusted their own money, Neff was far from the smooth-talking, high-profile Wall Streeter you might expect. He was mild-mannered and low-key, and the same might be said of the Windsor Fund that he managed for more than three decades. In fact, Neff himself described the fund as "relatively prosaic, dull, [and] conservative." There was nothing dull about his results, however. From 1964 to 1995, Neff guided Windsor to a 13.7 percent average annual return, easily outpacing the S&P 500's 10.6 percent return during that time. That 3.1 percentage point difference is huge over time -- a $10,000 investment in Windsor (with dividends reinvested) at the start of Neff's tenure would have ended up as more than $564,000 by the time he retired, more than twice what the same investment in the S&P would have yielded (about $233,000). Considering the length of his tenure, that track record may be the best ever for a manager of such a large fund.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
